


Rolling Blackout

by Jerevinan



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Arguing, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Resolved Argument
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-26
Updated: 2017-06-26
Packaged: 2018-11-19 06:10:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11307336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jerevinan/pseuds/Jerevinan
Summary: Prompto is already moody before the power goes out, and it's even worse because someone forgot the candles.[spoilers for the whole game]





	Rolling Blackout

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt in the light/in the dark, I went with "in the dark" because I like thinking about the world of ruin and came up with this? ^^

“This is _your_ fault.”

Gladiolus doesn’t answer him, and Prompto frowns a little harder at his back to make sure he feels his displeasure. His arms are crossed, but Gladiolus can’t see that.

No one can see a _thing_ because of the rolling blackouts in Lestallum. Since the city started taking in refugees from every corner of the globe, it means using more power. The meteor can give off that much energy, but the power plant itself—the equipment—can’t handle lighting the entire city by itself. The flood lights that keep out daemons are never shut off and take priority. Second priority goes to the warehouses, where lights are switched on for twelve hours a day to allow their produce to grow. To keep from expending too much juice at once, those are all on different schedules as well. 

But homes and businesses must wait their turn, too, and are asked to rely on candles when their grids are shut off.

Only _someone_ forgot to pick up candles at the store when he used the last one the day before. So when it hit noon, the apartment Prompto and Gladiolus shared together plunged into darkness.

“I said I was sorry.” Gladiolus doesn’t sound apologetic—not enough. When Prompto doesn’t answer, he continues, “I got back from a hunt covered in ichor. I needed a bath. I didn’t mean to crash on the sofa.”

“But you did.” They can’t even use their flashlights. Every battery, every flashlight, is preserved for hunts. Cor and Aranea raid places like Insomnia and Gralea, digging through homes and warehouses and business for supplies. They must have found every floodlight on Eos. But it isn’t enough. They have no way of telling how long this night will last.

And Prompto doesn’t like how his _afternoon_ is turning out. How is he supposed to live without sunlight if this keeps up a few more years?

“Why’re you so grumpy?” asks Gladiolus, and there’s a squeal of springs from the mattress.

“I’m cold,” admits Prompto. He’s wearing three layers of shirts including an oversized sweater of Gladiolus’, and he wants desperately for the chill to leave his bones. “I’m going to freeze to death, and I’m tired and I want the sun to come out.”

There is a long pause before Gladiolus answers. “Come here.”

“I can’t even find you.”

“Quit your whinin’. If Ignis can learn to navigate an entire city, you can find the bed in one room.”

“That is no fair, bringing him into this.”

“He’d agree with me.”

Prompto slids a foot forward, bracing his entire body for the minute his toe slams into something painful. Their bedroom isn’t exactly clean. He has to sweep discarded clothing out of his way, and that’s one thing, but he’s worried about the parts he has scattered around that he’s been tinkering with.

“You’d think you’ve never seen our bedroom before,” grumbles Gladiolus. “You remember where you were standing before the lights shut off?”

“I’m trying not to get myself killed!”

Gladiolus sighs and there’s a heavy plop on the mattress and the springs protest loudly.

Prompto bumps into the corner of the metal bed frame with his shin. “Ow!” It didn’t hurt that much, but it sucks. That stupid metal is sharp, but he shouldn’t complain—most of the refugees are sleeping on nothing but a mattress directly on the floor if they’re lucky enough not to have to sleep on a bedroll. 

Prompto climbs into the bed, patting around until he finds Gladiolus. Then he curls his fingers into a fist and slugs one of those beefy, bared biceps with all his might.

It hurts for both of them. Gladiolus is built like a rock, but Prompto isn’t weak despite his size, and he can imagine Gladiolus clutching his arm as he moans. 

Prompto rubs his fingers to sooth the ache. “That’s for not picking up candles. And for making me stumble around in the dark.”

Hands snake around his wrist with ease and tug him downward, until he’s falling into the crook of Gladiolus’ arm. 

“Shut up and get warm,” says Gladiolus.

“How come you’re not cold?” Prompto scowls. “You’re wearing a sleeveless shirt!” He misses those and tends to only wear them out on hunts or when he’s working in Hammerhead with Cindy and Cid under the intense heat of the floodlights. 

“Why do you always say that? I’ve told you, I don’t get cold easily.”

“All right, Mr. ‘I make my own body heat’ Amicitia.” Prompto laughs for the first time that day. It’s getting harder to be cheerful. He misses Noctis, misses the sunlight, misses taking pictures in natural lighting. “Gladio, would you take a pic with me?”

“In the dark?”

“Not right now. I mean. The only time I ever take pictures anymore is when I’m with Talcott or Cindy. I don’t have any of you. I wanna take pics of your hair growing out.” It’s getting longer in the areas where Gladiolus used to shave it. “I don’t want to miss all these important moments.”

“I thought you were trying to save your batteries, that’s why you stopped taking so many pictures.”

“They’re rechargeable, actually.” Prompto scoots closer. He might be jealous that Gladiolus has an easier time staying warm, but one of the perks of being his boyfriend is that he shares it. “It’s the lighting. It sucks now.”

“It gets to you,” admits Gladiolus, his fingers rubbing absentminded circles on Prompto’s arm. “All we can do is move forward and wait. Kick some daemons down and keep the people relying on us safe.”

“Yeah…”

Gladiolus leans in and leaves a kiss on his cheek, and there’s a warmth that spreads from that spot, like a seed of hope rooting in Prompto. Sometimes it’s hard to be cheerful, but some encouragement can help—especially from someone whose solution to everything is to fight his way through.

Prompto laughs.

“What’s gotten into you?”

“Nothing. Thanks, Gladio.”

“You’re welcome? Not sure what I did.”

Prompto sighs. “I had a bad day, and it got to me. I’ve been tinkering around with weapons, trying to develop a weapon that can take down most daemons in one shot. But I haven’t had any success, and I don’t know if I can do it. Cor and Aranea have probably found every bright headlight they could, but we all know that’s not enough to keep people safe. Hunters are still dying out there, no matter how much we try to protect them. If it isn’t the daemons, it’s exhaustion.”

Dave has issued several statements telling hunters not to overwork themselves, but the daemon threat and fear fuels people.

It isn’t just the rolling blackout that has made things dark. The _times_ have.

“They’re not the only ones who need to rest,” says Gladiolus. “Take a break. Sleep on it a few days. Do something else. It could take years, but don’t give up.”

“Right.” Prompto knows he can do this. He has modified weapons before. 

He flips onto his stomach and grabs Gladiolus’ arm with his hands. 

“What’re you doing?”

“Apologizing.” He kisses the bicep in the general area where he punched it earlier.

“You didn’t hit that hard.”

“You groaned loud enough about it.”

“To make you feel bad for doing it.” The mattress squeals. Gladiolus removes his arm from beneath Prompto, and the weight on the bed lightens. “I’ll go buy some candles. You want to come with me?”

Prompto considers and then stands up. “Better than sitting in the dark.”

“Good call.”

A lot of shuffling and bumping follows until both of them have found their shoes and made their way out into the street. The streetlight that keeps out daemons doesn’t light their corner of the alleyway, but this gives their eyes time to adjust.

Gladiolus holds out his hand as Prompto blinks against the brightness as they make their way onto one of the main roads in this labyrinthine town. 

Prompto grabs it and lets Gladiolus led the way.


End file.
